A message to our owners

Certain Audi vehicles have been affected by the recent recall of Takata airbags. The trust and safety of our customers and the public is our most important asset and we ask for your patience as we address this complicated issue.

Your VIN is a 17 character (digits and capital letters) identification number that is located on the lower left corner of your vehicle’s windshield, on your vehicle’s registration card, or it may also be shown on your insurance card.

In addition, if your vehicle is impacted by this recall, you should have already received an initial notification in the mail advising you of the recall.

As stated by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Takata has determined that a defect related to motor vehicle safety may arise in some airbag inflators that do not contain a drying agent. These airbags, if exposed over time to heat and humidity, pose a risk to driver and passengers.

Testing and analyses conducted by Takata, and by independent entities, and reviewed by NHTSA, have found that there are differences in the time periods in which propellant degradation takes place. The propellant degradation varies in different climate zones, in different vehicle makes and models, and in different inflator and propellant configurations. In short, the age of an airbag plus the exposure to heat and humidity increases the risk of a failure resulting in injury or death.

If the propellant in the airbag inflator has degraded, the airbag inflator can rupture if the vehicle is involved in a crash where the frontal airbags are designed to deploy. In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material, which may result in serious injury or death to vehicle occupants.

There is no way to detect if your car might have an airbag inflator potentially at risk of rupturing upon deployment in a crash.

If the airbag light is on in your vehicle, it not related to this recall issue. We recommend that you contact your authorized dealer, without delay, to make arrangements to have the problem diagnosed and repaired. See your owner’s manual for additional information about vehicle warning lights.

Based on independent investigations and the NHTSA’s independent expert, airbags without the drying agent do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety until they reach a certain level of propellant degradation due to age and heat/humidity exposure.

The NHTSA has also stated that it is more likely that, if you are involved in a crash, your air bag will perform properly and protect you than it will rupture and cause harm.

As this recall does pose a risk to motor vehicle safety, it is important to schedule a repair appointment at your local Audi dealership as soon as you receive your written recall notification.

Customers will receive a letter via first-class mail. Since this Takata recall affects multiple OEMs and a large population of vehicles, the NHTSA created a Coordinated Remedy Program to prioritize the replacement parts to the areas in the high Absolute Humidity Region where the potential risk for an airbag rupture during deployment is considered to be the greatest. Additional customers will be invited to complete the repair based on the prioritization schedule below.

In addition to taking into account the age of the inflator, the replacement part schedule is divided into three geographic zones based on temperature fluctuations, humidity and the exposure time required under those environmental conditions to degrade the propellant to the point where it poses an unreasonable risk to safety. The schedule for recalls has been set to make sure that vehicles are recalled before the propellant in the inflator will degrade to the point of becoming dangerous.

Zone A covers states with high temperature cycling and humidity, in addition to California and South Carolina. Time until unsafe propellant degradation may occur is projected at between six and nine years.

Zone B includes states that have moderate temperature cycling and humidity. Time until unsafe propellant degradation may occur is projected at between 10 and 15 years.

Zone C includes states with lower temperature cycling and humidity. Time until unsafe propellant degradation may occur is projected at between 15 and 20 years.

Additional information regarding repair prioritization can also be found on the NHTSA website: http://www.safercar.gov, or you may call the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

Audi does have parts available for some vehicles. Customer notifications are being sent based on the NHTSA mandated prioritization schedule.

All affected vehicles will receive an interim replacement part. This interim repair includes a fresh version of the original Takata inflator without the drying agent. This repair will extend the lifetime of the part until a final repair is identified. These replacement inflators are in limited supply, so vehicles in the highest risk areas will be given priority as outlined by the NHTSA’s Coordinated Remedy Program.

Customers who received their notification to complete the final and/or interim repair can schedule an appointment with their preferred Audi dealer and are urged to do so immediately. Due to this industry wide issue, parts are in high demand and limited supply and therefore your dealer will schedule the repairs according to parts availability and repair capacity.

Customers that have not received a notification will be notified in accordance with the NHTSA mandated prioritization schedule. Once you are notified, a repair appointment can be scheduled.

The priority group assignment is based on the registration history of your vehicle and if the vehicle has ever been registered in a high humidity/high temperature state. The priority grouping does not change or lower if you move out of a high humidity/high temperature state. Customers who have received their notification for the final/interim repairs can have the recall performed at any Audi dealer.

Additional information regarding repair prioritization can also be found on the NHTSA website: http://www.safercar.gov , you may contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

If you have received written notification to complete the repair, you may contact your preferred Audi dealer to schedule an appointment and are urged to do so immediately. Due to this industry wide issue, parts are in high demand and limited supply and therefore your dealer will schedule the repairs according to parts availability and repair capacity.

If you have not received written notification, you will be notified when a repair can be scheduled for your vehicle. Notifications will be sent in accordance with the NHTSA mandated prioritization schedule. These replacement inflators are in limited supply, so vehicles in the highest risk areas will be given priority as outlined by the NHTSA’s Coordinated Remedy Program.

As indicated by the NHTSA, airbags without the drying agent do not pose an unreasonable risk to safety until they reach a certain level of propellant degradation due to age and heat/humidity exposure. The NHTSA has also stated that it is more likely that, if you are involved in a crash, your air bag will perform properly and protect you than it will rupture and cause harm.

As this recall does pose a risk to motor vehicle safety, it is important to schedule an appointment with your dealership as soon as you receive your notification.

No, the NHTSA has advised against it. The NHTSA has stated that it is more likely that, if you are involved in a crash, your air bag will perform properly and protect you than it will rupture and cause harm. As the NHTSA has pointed out, an air bag that is purposely disabled has a 100-percent chance of failing to provide any protection in a crash.

Audi dealers are not authorized to disconnect any airbag system as part of this safety recall action. As this recall does pose a risk to motor vehicle safety, it is important to schedule an appointment with your dealership as soon as a repair is announced.

Yes. MY17 R8 and MY16 TT, which NHTSA expects to recall in the future. For these vehicles, we have provided a disclosure notice to be signed by the customer upon purchase and retained in their deal jacket as well as a similar notice to place in the vehicle glove box.

Yes, it will. For Canadian vehicles, you may be able to import/export the vehicle before all recall repairs are complete, it’s best to contact your vehicle import service for additional details and restrictions before you decide to export/import your vehicle. With regard to other countries, please contact your vehicle import service for additional details and restrictions before you decide to import/export your vehicle.

Audi is now able to complete repairs based on the NHTSA mandated prioritization. However the unprecedented volume of the industry-wide Takata airbag inflator recalls has created challenges to acquire replacement parts for all vehicle manufacturers.

If you received a letter to have the repair performed free of charge, you can schedule an appointment with your preferred Audi dealer. Due to the unprecedented volume of the industry-wide Takata airbag inflator recalls, this has created challenges to acquire replacement parts for all vehicle manufacturers. Parts are being allocated to dealers based on NHTSA’s targeted prioritization for servicing the highest risk vehicles first and repairs in that area. Contact your dealer to schedule an appointment. Please keep in mind that dealers are repairing vehicles based on NHTSA recommendations to service highest risk vehicles first and that a future repair will still be required for a complete remediation.

If you have not received a letter yet, you will receive one based on NHTSA’s targeted prioritization that manufacturers are following to issue letters. Please contact your dealer to schedule an appointment at that time.

Due to the unprecedented volume of the industry-wide Takata airbag inflator recalls, this has created challenges to acquire replacement parts for all vehicle manufacturers. Parts are being allocated to dealers based on NHTSA’s targeted prioritization for highest risk vehicles being serviced first. The NHTSA has defined a schedule to address the most at risk vehicles first. This schedule is based on the Coordinated Remedy Program Priority Groups documented on the NHTSA website: http://www.safercar.gov.

Because parts are being allocated to dealers based on NHTSA’s recommendations, dealers are scheduling appointments for the initial repair based on when the parts become available to them. Dealers will work to the best of their ability with customers to repair vehicles based on available parts.

As disclosed in the terms of your Motor Vehicle Lease Agreement, you are entitled to exercise your right to complete the purchase of your vehicle. You may do so by calling Audi Financial Services at 866 277-8191. If you reside in the states of CO, SD or FL your dealer can facilitate your purchase. If your dealer is unable to assist in the purchase of your vehicle, please contact Audi Financial Services at 866 277-8191.